Martin Sisters - Mother Agnes of Jesus Page V (Marie Pauline Martin)

  Fr. Dolan then went to visit Léonie at the Visitation monastery; he also introduced the same question to Léonie
  about Pauline’s holiness. He asked her: “Do you think Pauline is saintly?” (CWc) Without any hesitation, Léonie
  reinforced to him this perception and went even further to say that she was a saint. “I do not believe there is a
  superior so esteemed.” (CWe) Decades later on December 3, 1943, Fr. Dolan would state in one of his books after the
  death of Marie: “St. Thérèse owes much of her sanctity, to her holy parents as well as to her holy sisters Marie
  and Pauline. I would not be surprised if the Church in the future would declare both of them saints.” (M)

  Many of Pauline’s Carmelite sisters were very loyal to her especially in her leadership role as prioress. With the
  overwhelming interest in the Carmelite monastery, the job of prioress was extremely demanding. Her sisters
  witnessed firsthand the day-to-day difficulties Pauline faced both inside and outside the monastery. She had a duel
  task of fulfilling the needs of her Carmelite sisters within the monastery as well as fulfilling the needs of the
  numerous visitors that came to the monastery. In order to accomplish such an enormous task as being prioress, she
  always sought out God for guidance in every task and practiced both humility and simplicity to fulfill each task.
  Once, in a letter to her sister Léonie, she had remarked: “I do not know why my sisters love me so much. Since I
  have been prioress, I have never had to say the same thing twice.” (CWc)

  Pauline’s little sister became St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus on May 17, 1925. A beautiful ceremony took place in
  Rome to celebrate the newly canonized Saint. Earlier, Pope Pius XI extended an invitation for Marie, Pauline,
  Léonie, and Céline to attend the ceremony in Rome. However, all of them declined the invitation so that they could
  continue their work in their respective monasteries as cloistered nuns thus not interfering with community life. But
  in the place of their absence, Pauline arranged for two Tourière (lay) sisters from the Visitation monastery to travel
  to Rome for the ceremony. Pauline made every effort to notify Léonie of all the news and events surrounding
  Thérèse’s canonization.

  On January 15, 1927, as an added honor to bestow upon her newly sainted sister Thérèse, Pauline compiled and
  published the booklet titled: ‘Novissima Verba’ (Last Words). These were a compilation of her last conversations
  that she had with Thérèse. Their conversations were recorded in Pauline’s yellow notebook from May to September
  1897.

  One of Pauline’s closest confidants, her sister Marie, suffered from a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. On
  January 25, 1929 she was placed in the infirmary permanently. Her health depleted even further and on March 8,
  1937, Pauline requested that the priest give her the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But this was not to be her last
  communion, in fact; she would live just two years longer.

  In December of 1939, Marie’s lungs had filled with fluid. It was a great indication that she was gravely ill. The
  doctors were summoned at her bedside and their final verdict was that she was not going to make it much longer.
  It was very hard on Pauline because both of them had been through so much together starting from their childhood
  while they were at the Visitation boarding school and then as nuns at the Carmelite monastery. Pauline and Céline
  spent several hours a day at her bedside while she suffered. They informed Léonie of the daily events occurring
  around their beloved sister.

  Marie had managed to make it to the month of January. Pauline had asked her if she wrote her a letter for her feast
  day. Marie nodded and acknowledged to her that she did. Pauline wanted to know from her which Bible verses she
  used to give herself comfort when she suffered through so many challenges in her life. On January 19, 1940 her last
  audible words in front of her sisters were, “I love thee” as she kissed her crucifix. As she was praying the rosary
  and gazed her eyes on the statue of “Our Lady of the Smile”, she breathed her last breath, the time had come for her
  soul to ascend to Heaven.

  After the community left the infirmary, her sisters prepared her body for burial. As Marie’s body lay still in the
  infirmary, Pauline found the letter Marie had written to her. As Pauline sat beside Marie in tears, she opened the letter
  and read it out loud. Marie explained in her letter to Pauline about what she was going to do for all eternity and in
  closing what Pauline meant to her with her beautiful words of endearment to her longtime faithful companion.

  On January 23, 1940, a Mass was said in the Carmelite chapel and witnessed by many worshippers including two
  lay sisters that were sent by the Visitation monastery in Caen representing Léonie on her behalf. Marie’s body was
  then brought down to a vault located underneath the chapel where her body rests today.

  Four months after Pauline’s beloved sister Marie died, France was invaded by Nazi Germany. It was a fear cast
  down by many Frenchmen and a fear that would soon be realized on May 10, 1940. A German dictator by the name
  of Adolph Hitler decided to invade France. The French army thought that the Germans would attack them on the
  French and German border, where they had a strong line of defense. However, the Germans decided to attack
  France through Belgium instead. The French army made an enormous effort to stop the German army from
  penetrating the front lines. However, they were no match to the German arsenal of weapons. On June 22, 1940 the
  French and German governments signed an Armistice agreement that called for two different zones. One zone
  occupied by the Germans and the other zone occupied by the French. Unfortunately, Caen and Lisieux were both
  positioned in the German occupied zone. The Germans setup outposts in most of the major cities in France, Caen
  and Lisieux being no exception.

  Léonie’s health started to noticeably decline. She was always plagued with illnesses throughout her life. However,
  it became more apparent to her as well as to her sisters that her current illness was going to be the one that takes her
  soul to Heaven. Léonie wrote to Pauline describing her declining health and how upset she was that she was longer
  able to perform her duties in the monastery. One of Léonie’s duties that she valued to do the most was chanting in
  the choir. Pauline replied to her in a letter: “Oh, do not permit yourself to grieve, my dear little Léonie. As long as
  your heart chants unceasingly the praises of the good God, all is well.” (GV) Always remember the apparition that you
  saw of Thérèse’s hand, it is the same hand now, which is closing your ‘breviary’ “but it is only to open wider your
  great heart.” (GV)

  On behalf of Léonie’s 40th anniversary of her profession in June of 1940, Pauline arranged for Léonie to receive a
  papal blessing from Pope Pius XII. Unfortunately, due to the occupation of France, it took a year later before
  Léonie was able to receive it on June 3, 1941. Not only did Pauline send Léonie a papal blessing on this day but also
  sent a reliquary to house Thérèse’s profession cross. As a gift to the Visitation monastery Pauline agreed to allow
  them to hold Thérèse’s cross in possession, after Léonie’s death. Years earlier when Pauline first sent Thérèse’s
  profession cross to Léonie; she stipulated that after Léonie’s death that it would be returned to the Carmel of
  Lisieux. Pauline also notified Léonie that she received permission to have her body placed alongside her sister
  Marie in a vault underneath the Chapel of the Carmel after her death. But Léonie refused this offer for fear that
  Pauline would end her relationship with the Visitation monastery.

  During the years of occupation by the Germans as well as prior to the invasion, Pauline had helped the Visitation
  monastery on several occasions. It was very important to Léonie that her Visitandine sisters were taken care of
  even after her death especially during the time of war. Pauline reiterated to Léonie in her letter: “If you fly to
  Heaven, I will not fail to communicate often with your Visitation; furthermore, I, myself, feel the need of such
  continued intimacy.” (GV)

  It was not long after Léonie’s birthday that Pauline was notified by the Mother Superior of the Visitation monastery
  of her sister’s dire health. On June 12, 1941, Léonie had a stroke and was found lying on the floor unconscious by
  one of her sisters. A doctor was immediately summoned to the monastery to check on her condition. Pauline sent
  two lay sisters from the Carmel that afternoon to represent both her and Céline. Both Pauline and Céline wrote
  beautiful messages to their beloved sister as well as picked some flowers at the Carmel to give to her. Days later
  after a very difficult struggle, on June 17th, Léonie’s soul ascended to Heaven. Pauline had two lay sisters from the
  Carmel represent them at their sister’s funeral on June 21, 1941. Even though everyone felt the presence of the
  Germans, many people from around the world still came to pay their respects.

  After four years of occupation of France by the Germans, the decision by the Allied Forces to invade France was
  imminent. On June 6, 1944, the first course of action by the Allies was the bombing missions prior to the troops
  landing on the beaches of Normandy. The barrage of bombs came several hours later, in the middle of the night,
  upon Lisieux on June 7th destroying two of the main churches as well as a couple other monasteries. The first
  bombing mission lasted for over forty-five minutes and the majority of the bombs fell on the city center as well as
  the railway station. The main objective of the Allies was to destroy the transportation routes of the Germans but due
  to the heavy cloud cover over Lisieux the bombs rained down on the small town indiscriminately.

  Later that afternoon the second round of bombings commenced. This time the immediate area around the Carmelite
  monastery was on fire and they too were now in danger of losing their lives. As Pauline and her Carmelite sisters
  heard the sounds of the explosions of the bombs, one of the fathers, associated with the monastery, rushed to find
  Pauline and advised her to leave the monastery immediately with her sisters and take refuge at the Basilica. Pauline
  agreed to his request and was escorted with her sisters to the Basilica. The only thing Pauline and her sisters were
  able to take with them, while they were being bombarded, was Thérèse’s relics. They were forced to leave behind
  all of the other possessions associated with Thérèse and all of the work they had accomplished for decades with
  the risk of losing it forever. About eighty-five bombs landed in the Carmelite gardens, luckily not dropping on the
  main buildings of the monastery. Their gardens were destroyed, leaving them with little food to eat in the coming
  days. A barrage of fire had started to commence on the monastery as a result of the bombs. But luckily the fathers
  were able to put it out saving the monastery and the chapel.

  After two days of bombing raids on Lisieux ended, over seven hundred people died including the majority of the
  nuns at the Benedictine monastery, which housed the relics of Thérèse’s First Holy Communion. Despite the
  dangers that were lurking in their sites, all of the Carmelite sisters made it to the Basilica unharmed. Many of the
  townspeople had already gathered in the crypt of the Basilica when they arrived. It was for Pauline as well as for
  Céline a great culture shock. They were forced back into the world once more, a world they had abandoned years
  ago.

  Pauline and her Carmelite sisters went to the altar of the crypt and prayed in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the
  Smile. There they set up a temporary place for them to continue their life of prayer. Hours upon hours they would
  pray numerous prayers for their own safety and also for the safety of all who were involved in the fighting for the
  liberation of France.

  Days after the initial bombings, the German army made their retreat from the Normandy beaches and set their sights
  on many small French towns as they retreated eastward. They made several attempts to regroup their armies so that
  they could make an attempt to counterattack the Allies invasion on June 8th. An order was sent to the German
  Panzer division to regroup in Lisieux but due to the Allied bombings, the German army became disoriented. German
  General Speidel changed his division’s direction from regrouping in Lisieux and turned around and headed to the
  town of Caen instead. As the fighting went on, a number of the German soldiers, after being separated by the
  fighting, retreated to Lisieux and took refuge in the upper half of the Basilica. The Germans made many attempts
  during the fighting to use the townspeople as a buffer between them and the Allies. Pauline and Céline as well as
  their Carmelite sisters and many of townspeople were also used as a buffer from the Allied forces while they were
  forced to stay in the crypt of the Basilica. The Germans also gathered up many of the townspeople and forced them
  to repair the roads and bridges that were destroyed by the Allied bombs.

  To get a glance at the town they once knew from childhood, Pauline and Céline walked up the steps to the top of
  dome of the Basilica. It was very heartbreaking for Pauline to see all of the destruction that lay before them. As tears
  fell from her eyes, there were only memories left of the town she once knew for most of it was destroyed.

  When fighting had stopped temporarily, the Carmelite nuns grouped themselves into pairs of two, risking their lives
  to try and find some food in Lisieux. Pauline and Céline traveled throughout the ravaged town several times trying
  to find anyone, which would be willing to share with them some food to eat as well as for their sisters. As they
  went searching for food, they took the opportunity to go to Les Buissonnets and see whether it survived the
  bombings, it of course did. When Pauline and Céline reached the door of the house that they once spent their
  childhood in, many of the fond memories that they had shared resurfaced.

  When there was another opportunity for them to venture out in Lisieux, they walked to the cemetery where their
  family members were buried. Pauline and Céline prayed before the graves of their father and mother as well as their
  brothers and sisters. They also had the opportunity to see and pay their respects to the Carmelite sisters they once
  knew while they were in the monastery. These were the first and only times they were able to see what they thought
  they would never see again in their lifetime.

  Due to the Germans having a stronghold in and around Caen, it delayed the liberation of Lisieux until August 23rd.
  Once the British troops reached the outskirts of Lisieux, word had spread throughout the town that the Allied forces
  were nearby. On the 21st of August, the British finally reached the outskirts of Lisieux. In the distance, they could
  hear the bells of the Basilica ringing even though the German army was still occupying the town. Soon, the German
  army retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, leaving snipers behind. The Germans waited for the British troops to
  arrive before they started to commence firing mortars on them and the townspeople. The rain delayed the British
  troops briefly but they soon took control of the town.

  When the British troops arrived at the Basilica, their first intentions were to blow it up. Because it was thought that
  the Germans were still in the Basilica, however, they had already left. By a miracle alone, the British commander
  ultimately changed his mind and spared the Basilica. After the British troops had complete control of Lisieux on
  August 24th, it was time for Pauline, Céline and the sisters to return to the monastery. On August 27th, a
  procession carrying Thérèse’s relics made its way from the Basilica and back to the Carmelite monastery. It was
  a day filled with tears by both Pauline and Céline, the worst was finally over.

  After they returned to the monastery, there was minor damage done to the monastery compound itself as well as to
  the Basilica. It was time to repair the damage that was done. Life soon resumed as normal or at least what could be
  thought of as normal. For years after, the Carmelite monastery and the town of Lisieux were still mending its
  wounds from the devastation that the war had caused. Much had been lost of the medieval houses that inhabited the
  town as well as the damage done to the famous Cathedral. Life was very hard for all.

  As sisters, the relationship between Pauline and Céline was very close. After the deaths of their beloved other
  sisters Marie and Léonie, the legacy of Thérèse’s life was left in their hands. They both continued to work
  feverishly together on books and illustrations to continue the legacy of their beloved sainted sister. Even after the
  war, they relied heavily on each other more and more. Pauline once remarked about her sister Céline, “I love my
  little Céline more than anything else on earth.” (c) Pauline and Céline made every attempt to keep the legacy of
  their sainted sister as accurate as possible in their publications to the public. Both of them were met with some
  resistance from people outside of the monastery for years. Some authors even made attempts to alter their sainted
  sister’s ‘Little Way’ but Pauline and Céline were there to counteract their false interpretations.

  When 1949 reached, Pauline contracted a lung infection. She was to realize that she was no longer the physically
  strong woman she was once before. Already, 87 years old, she had to rely on others to help her do medial tasks.
  Céline, her sister, was always at her side aiding her in all of things that Pauline needed. Pauline became totally
  dependent upon her sisters. But she surrendered all of her misgivings and only looked upon God as her source of
  inspiration and peace. Pauline always echoed the words to her sisters and those that came to visit her: “Love and
  Confidence”, now she was living her own words.

  As the 1940’s ended and the 1950’s were ushered in, Pauline was reaching the final years of her life. She battled
  many illnesses throughout her life but the common colds as well as the influenza outbreaks were becoming more
  and more difficult for her to battle. But through it all, she still maintained her humility as well as her abilities to reign
  as prioress.

  Due to Pauline’s physical infirmaries as well as her illness, she was moved to the infirmary. This time would be the
  last time that she would see her cell, the room that was filled with so many memories of her and all of her sisters.
  Our Lady of the Smile was placed in front of her bedside. It was very disheartening for Céline to watch her ‘little
  mother’ suffer so much. Céline wrote in a note describing Pauline, “She is as sweet and serene as possible, totally
  abandoned to God.” (C) As Céline witnessed previously the physical sufferings of her other sisters Thérèse and
  Marie, so now she was to witness Pauline’s long ascent to Heaven.

  Once the middle of July 1951 came, it became more apparent that Pauline only had days remaining of her life here on
  earth. A priest gave her, her last confession as well as the Last Rites. She endured harsh suffering especially when it
  came to her breathing. It was very difficult for her to breathe because of the fluid that had built up in her lungs.

  On July 28, 1951, just minutes leading up to her death, she made every attempt to pray aloud the prayer, which she
  often recited herself: “Jesus, meek and humble at heart make my heart unto thine.” After her last agony, witnessed by
  her Carmelite sisters, Pauline’s soul ascended to Heaven. Céline as well as her other sisters prepared their ‘little
  mother’ for her viewing and her funeral. Her body was placed in the choir of the Carmelite chapel to be viewed by
  many that had come from around the world to pay their respects.

  On August 1, 1951, Bishop Picaud conducted the funeral Mass for Pauline. After the Mass ended in the Carmelite
  chapel, her body was then taken to the vault and placed beside her sister Marie who was already interned there.

  After close examination of the works of Thérèse, many theologians as well as biographers have found “Pauline’s
  inspiration of evangelism in Thérèse’s message.” Throughout all of the Martin sisters lives, many of the visitors who
  came to see Pauline, Marie, Léonie and Céline, at their respective monasteries, were left with the impression that
  all of them were very holy nuns. There were many blessings bestowed upon the many visitors who came or wrote
  letters to all of them about their sainted sister. Some were simply requests of prayers on their behalf for their
  intentions and others were relics that were given to them of their sainted sister.

  Written by R. Hann

  Bibliography

  Abbé Combes, ed. Collected Letters Of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux . (CL)
  New York: Sheed & Ward, 1949.
  Dolan, Albert H. Rev.. Collected Little Flower Works. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CW)
  ---. Life of the Little Flower (CWa)
  ---. Living Sisters of the Little Flower (CWb)
  ---. Our Sister is in Heaven (CWc)
  ---. Where the Little Flower seems nearest (CWd)
  ---. The Little Flower’s Mother. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CWe)
  ---. An Hour with the Little Flower (CWf)
  ---. God Made The Violet Too: Life of Léonie, Sister of St. Thérèse. (GV)
  Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1948.
  Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
  Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
  Baudouin-Croix, Marie. Léonie Martin : A Difficult Life. (LM)
  Dublin : Veritas Publications, 1993.
  Beevers, John, trans. The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Story of a Soul. (SS)
  New York: Doubleday, 1957.
  Clarke, John, trans. St.Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. (LC)
  Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1977.
  Martin, Celine. My Sister St.Thérèse Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of New York. (MST)
  Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1959.
  Martin, Celine. The Mother of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (ML)
  Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1957
  Mother Agnes of Jesus. Marie, Sister of St. Thérèse. Ed. Rev. Albert H. Dolan, O.Carm.
  Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1943. (M)
  Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
  Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
  ---. CÉLINE: Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face. Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of the Eucharist of Colchester, Conn. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. ©
  Redmond, Paulinus Rev. Louis and Zélie Martin: The Seed and The Root of the Little Flower   London: Quiller Press Limited, 1995. (SR)
  Rohrbach, Peter-Thomas, O.C.D. The Search for St. Therese (SST)
  Garden City, New York: Hanover House, 1961
  Martin, Pauline. Little Counsels of Mother Agnes of Jesus, O.C.D. (LCM)
  Lisieux, France, Office Central de Lisieux- distributed by Carmelite Monastery of Ada, Michigan
  Helmuth Nils Loose, Pierre Descouvemont. Thérèse and Lisieux (TOL)
  Trans: Salvatore Sciurba, O.C.D. and Louise Pambrun, Grand Rapids, Michigan Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996
  Gibbons, James Cardinal. Holy Bible (Douay-Rheims) 1899 Edition. (B)
  Baronius Press Unlimited, London, United Kingdom, 2005

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Mother Agnes of Jesus
Marie Pauline Martin
"The Pearl of Lisieux"

"Jesus is not asking us to succeed in the work of perfecting ourselves in any starling fashion. He watches our efforts with delight when they are
inspired by love" - Mother Agnes of Jesus

Page V

September 7, 1861-July 28, 1951